Adjustable holdback.



s. G. HUGHES.

ADJUSTABLE HOLDBAOK. APPLIUATION PILPD I'EB.24, 1912.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

SGHUYLER e. HUGHES, or Mamie, WEST VIRGINIA.

ADJUSTABLE HoLnBAoKL Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,781.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, SCHUYLER G. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mineral, in the county of Harrison and State of WestVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAdjustable Holdbacks, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in securing meansbetween hold-back straps and the thills and more particularly to anadjustable hold-back connection, and my object is to provide a devicewhich will mostefiiciently perform the functions of holding back, when avehicle is traveling down grade and at the same time may be readilydetached to release the draft.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a hold-backconnection on a: thill which in itself is removable and fur--- ther toprovide a connection between the last mentioned connection and thehold-back strap which is also adjustable.

Still another object of the invention resides in providing a devicewhich may be applied to any set of harness now in use, and it will notprovide any unnecessary wear upon the thill.

A still further object of the invention resides in providing a devicewhich is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufactureand one which will be eflicient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in thespecification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1is a perspective view showing my improved holdback appliedto use on athill; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the thill and theconnection mounted thereon; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view through the adjust,

able hold-back member.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawing in whichsimilar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and in which 1 indicates a thill, to the upper faceof which is removably secured a plate 2, the side edges of which arebent upwardly and Patented Sept, 10, 1912.

inwardly toward one another as shown at 3 to form channel ways thereonand slidably disposed in these channel ways is a slide member 4 havingan upwardly projecting eye or the like 5 thereon disposed between theinwardlyextending flanges 3. The inner end of the plate 2 is secured tothe thill 1 by means of a bolt 6, the head 0f which projects above theface of said plate 2 to limit the movement of said slide 4 in onedirection and in order to limit the movement of the same in the oppositedirection, a cotter :pin or the like 7 is provided and adaptedto bedisposed through a pair of the series of alining openings 8 in the sidesof the upwardly and inwardly extending flanges 3.

A hold-back member comprising" an elongated housing 9 of channel-shapeddesign is provided, the one end of whichrhas secured therewith a loop orthe like 10, which is in turn engaged with the eye member 5 of the slide4. This channel-shaped housing member 9 has the sides thereof providedwith a series of alining openings 11 and an elongated U-shaped springmember 12 is slidably disposed in said housing 9, the free ends of thearms of said spring member being bent outwardly as shown at 13 andadapted to be engaged through the .alining openings 11. The base orconnecting portion of this U-shaped spring member 12 is connected withthe breeching ring 14: of the hold-back strap and from thisconstruction, it will be seen that this U- shaped spring member may beadjustably disposed in the housing 12 to correspond ingly adjust thehold-back strap. When it is desired to increase or decrease the lengthof the strap, the arms of the spring member 12 which project beyond thefree ends of the housing 9, are pressed inwardly to correspondinglydisengage the outwardly bent ends 13 of the arms thereof, whereupon saidspring member may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly as the case maybe. When it is desired to entirely disengage the hold-back strap fromits connection with the thill, the spring member 12 may be entirelyremoved'from the housing 9 or the slide member 3 may be entirely removedfrom the track member formed by the plate 2 and the flanges 3 thereon.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a simple,inexpensive and of the invention and While I have particularly describedthe elements most Well adapted to perform the functions set forth, it isobvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minordetails of construct-ion may be resorted to Without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described this invention, What is claimed is 1. Thecombination With a thill; of a track member secured thereto, a slidemounted on said track, a portion of the means for securing said trackmember on the thill being adapted to limit the movement of said slide inone direction, adjustable means to limit the movement of the slide inthe opposite direction, and means to connect a hold-back strap with saidslide.

2. The combination With a thill; of a track member removably securedthereto, a slide mounted on said track member, a portion of the meanssecuring said track to the thill being adapted to limit the movement ofsaid slide in one direction, a key adjustably mounted transversely ofthe track Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the member and adapted to limit the movement of said slide inthe opposite direction, and means to connect a hold-back strap with saidslide.

3. The combination With a thill; of a channel-shaped plate, means toremovablv secure the same to said thill, the side walls of saidchannel-shaped plate being provided with alining openings, a slidemember mounted in said channel-shaped plate, a key adapted for insertionthrougha pair of alining openings in said channel-shaped plate to limitthe sliding movement of said slide member in one direction, a portion ofthe means securing said plate to the thill being adapted to limit themovement of said slide member in the opposite direction, and anadjustable member engaged with said slide and adapted for connectionwith a hold-back strap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

SCHUYLER G. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

GroFF DAVIS, F. L. PosT.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

